More than a dozen phone calls were received by 11 News from angry employees of IWG Protection Agency in Baltimore claiming their checks had bounced; some said they had not been paid in more than one month.

Towler and a number of other employees that work for or have worked for IWG Protection Services in Baltimore, said getting paid for their hard work has been a great challenge, and now they say it's reached a boiling point.

"You're ruining people's lives. People can't pay rent, gas and electric, can't take care of their kids. I'm a single parent. I can't afford to keep on getting bounced checks," Towler said.

Towler, who worked for the company for about two and a half years, told 11 News the company had a pattern of unpredictable payments. Some employee checks would clear. Other employees would see their checks bounce at the same time. Some, she said, were paid within days of bouncing and some within a month. She said for some people, like former IWG employee Catia Pelham, not at all.

"My rent has been late. I couldn't even pay my rent, and I'm crying to this man and telling him all the things I'm going through and nothing has been done," Pelham said.

Pelham said one bounced check has caused her bank to charge her more than $900 in fees, and she's gotten no help from her employer thus far.

Both in person and by phone, 11 News tried to reach IWG owner Gregory Issac but was told "no comment." Also, 11 News tried to speak to a person wearing an IWG uniform entering the building, and he said the same thing.

"No comment," the employee said.

"If you work and you are not paid for the work you've done, that's wage theft," said Scott Jensen, interim secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

Jensen said the practice of bounced checks is unfortunately all too common in Maryland. He did confirm DLLR has at least one complaint on IWG, and court documents reveal an unsatisfied lien from the state of more than $53,000.

Jensen did point out that there may be some hope for these unpaid employees if the company's troubles can be proven.

"The commissioner of Labor and Industry, who works here at DLLR, has the ability to issue a final order of wage payment in the Circuit Court of Jurisdiction, so we will collect for these folks," Jensen said.

It's still unclear just how the labor department will solve the problem. The agency is asking anyone who was wronged to contact them.

For help with this issue, call the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation's Employment Standards Service at 410-767-2357.